Fabric...how I love fabric

So this week its about fabric.

I chose my fabric and some other items for my Snickerdoodle's Paper Bag Swap that commences in May. I will send it away and receive a lovely gift in return. How lucky am I?

Furthermore, my friendship challenge that I have started with my friend has begun. I went to my local quilt shop Miss Sampson's Drapery for some fabric.  Of course, I just needed to buy new fabric for the challenge and not use what I already have at home. My four year old daughter accompanied me on the adventure and was looking at all the beautiful fabric asking me constantly if this is what I wanted to buy.

I love spots. I have so many spots in my stash I could make a spotty quilt. So just some more spots but these special spots will go into a quilt made by my friend Simone.

Quilting is Murder.....

I just signed up to become a quilting detective. Yes that's right a quilting detective. The hunt begins for clues on May 1st 2011.

 

http://www.quiltingismurder.com

How much fun am I going to have????

Challenge between Friends

So I have this awesome friend who I have got to know over the past couple of years. We both share a love of patchwork and quilting. She recently moved away for all different reasons (6 hours and interstate) and I don't get to see her much anymore. Thanks for Facebook and blogging.

In our recent discussions, she hinted that she wanted to be involved in a challenge. So I put on my thinking cap and made up a challenge, which she accepted. YEAH!!!!!

Current Challenge:

We would each make the other a lap size quilt which measures 48" x 60" and uses 20 blocks.

The conditions are the following:

1. Each person would purchase 30cm of two different fabrics that they would like to see as a feature in their quilt. You have until the 15th May to find the fabric that you would like in your quilt. It can be any colours, patterns, etc. It is entirely your choice about what you would like to have. 

The fabric is then sent to the other person.

2. Both parties would make the same block. I chose the bottom block as it is easy and only lots of half square triangles. 

Depression Block

www.quilterscache.com

3. You have to use some of your own stash in the quilt and are not allowed to purchase any further fabric to make the quilt other than the backing, binding and wadding. The quilt is supposed to be scrappy and the other person has discretion about how the chosen fabrics fit in.

4. Each person has to quilt the quilt themselves as part of the gift.

5. We have until September school holidays 2011 to finish the quilt. We will have an unveiling and catch up them.

6. We have to blog about it so that we can show each other our progress but don't reveal to much as it would be awesome to see a surprise at the end. We will take a photo of each of us holding up our respective quilts and put it on our blogs.

How much fun and I going to have????

Can't wait to begin. First step finding my fabric......

Easter endeavours...

Well we into our last day of public holidays after the Easter Weekend. Its been extra long this year as we have also had ANZAC day and its public holiday as well. ANZAC day is when we remember our soldiers who have lost their lives. So I have had some extra time for crafting especially because it has been the end of our school holidays as well. The routines return to normal tomorrow and things will be full steam ahead.

I did some work putting together my quilted fabric basket which needs to be finished in the next couple of weeks.

I've also been stitching for my local quilting group's friendship block swap. There is no picture yet but I will post it once I have finished the block. I enjoy stitching and it is a nice break away from the sewing machine.

But I have spent quite of bit of time outside with the little ones. The weather has been glorious and too nice to stay inside. So my DH decided that he would take a photo of me outside whilst my daughter was busily riding her bike up and down the street.
I just happened to be writing on my blog and putting up my Christmas Cards group on Flickr .

But what I loved the most was taking some family shots of my other babies. As my mother would call them my Furbies. Well some of them anyway. Here are Abbey (black Labrador cross) and Roxy (Golden Retriever).

Also the newest addition to our menagerie is the resident garden spider who has been living between the fence and trampoline for the last 6 - 8 weeks. It is getting huge but not at all bothered when the kids are jumping on the trampoline.

Anyone interested??

Happy Easter!

As I sit at my Mum's house contemplating all the projects I have waiting to complete, I remember finding a blog that encouraged people completing a similar project to join together to complete the project as a Block of the Month (BOM).

So I decided to put it out to all bloggers. I currently have a completed kits of Kookaburra Cottage Christmas Cards


I joined up to complete the quilt with Country Pickin's. They were using a Christmas range by Nancy Halvorsen. I just loved the fabric and had to join. The finished quilt size is 68" x 68".

I have actually finished Block one which is the Santa. I will post a photo before the BOM starts to show my progress on the quilt blocks.

So starting in July 2011, and I know that it won't be ready for Christmas this year, I am asking other people if they are interested in joining me if they already have this pattern or BOM to complete that project as a group. The BOM is a 10 month project. People can take less time or more time to finish off their blocks. There will be no race to the finish. All I am asking is if there are any interested parties in joining me on this Christmas journey to complete the quilt or small wall hangings or however you would like to finish off the blocks.

In Australia, we celebrate Christmas in July (as it is winter here), so it seemed appropriate to start of this group. I will organise the group to run from July 2011 - July 2011. Photos of your blocks and progress can be put up on Flickr and my blog.

I'm keen if you are. Just leave me a comment to let me know if you would like to participate.

And the winner is....

I was just checking my emails for the day when I was surprised to discover that I had won the Alphabet Game at the Quilting Gallery on Facebook. I'm still in shock as I never win anything. So I get a lovely early Easter present.

Thanks to all those involved in the competition to make it happen.

Quilt Block Swap

I finished off my next Quilt Block Swap log cabin blocks last night to send over to Florida for the April swap.
I found this swap on Facebook. It's great. Every 2 months, a fantastic lady in Florida who coordinates the swap puts up on her blog the next block. You can either participate or not it is entirely up to the individual. I discovered this in November last year and have participated in the last 3 swaps.

As part of the swap, you make 5 blocks to swap (or how ever many you would like if you would like to make more) 1 block that goes into a charity quilt and 1 block for yourself.

I made 12 blocks to send overseas as part of this swap. I was asked to make the charity quilt for this block swap and I agreed. The quilt I make will go to a child in foster care with our local agency. Kids in foster care usually don't come into care with many personal items and this quilt will be their very own possession which they can take with them when they leave. My kids love their quilts and I wanted to pass on something wonderful to another child that may not necessarily have that experience.

For those that have been keeping up with my posts, I just wanted to share Katy enjoying her quilt.